of Lollies, Love, Labels, Laughter, Lessons, Life, and being the Lulu…

I am a teacher

Call it my own form of reward, for finishing my observation today… (will share more on it later)

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Alright, to those who have been following my bloggie seriously i don’t really know why since all i do is crap crap crap or paste pictures when i’m dead lazy, I have already started off my teaching journey officially in SMK Tengku Indra Petra 1, Gua Musang.

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This is one real laid-back school~ No school bells. Seriously, no school bells. Something I have yet gotten used to. The clocks in different parts of the school are not even synchronized (some faster, some slower), and us teachers are supposed to walk into our classes or end our lessons according to the time on our watches. True story.

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Besides having separate staffrooms, and canteens for the different genders of the teaching staff (which in fact made me feel more comfortable), the school functions just like every other schools. You have the staffroom politics, the ‘entrepreneurs’, the never-ending clerical work, the extra duties, the hardworkers, the complainers, the low-profiles, the out-spoken and so on.

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For me, all these were nothing compared to my main concern in Kelantan. I am pretty much clueless when people around me (teachers and students alike) kecek kelate. My Malay is already that limited, and this dialect does sound like alien language to me, most of the time. I tend to become either more bright-eyed and attentive, trying hard to grasp what is going on during staff meetings and speeches; or i just spaced out. *BLANK*

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Teaching-wise, it is a challenge. My students are real weak in English, some to the extent of not even knowing what is ‘sugar’, and they are in Form 5. There were so many things that I want to try out with them, to enrich them, but I have come to a stumbling block. Sometimes I struggle, sometimes it was a breeze, most of the time, I have to think real hard on how to stop them from giving up on the language.

But thankfully, the students are the ones keeping me motivated, to stay in this place.

Weak as they are, they have great positive attitude. At least they acknowledge their weaknesses, and are willing to learn. Of course you still have quite a handful who try to get onto your nerves. But as a whole, they are a delight to teach.

For instance, today I just had an observation. I was pretty freaked out about it. Since I have only started teaching for a few days, and this class that was supposed to be observed, I had only entered twice. Furthermore, I was expected to teach in only English (which is quite hard for my students who are helpless without translation), and I had to teach the novel ‘Catch Us If You Can’, a book I just knew about and just read up.

I prayed real hard for wisdom and guidance, and also for peace in my heart.

I made a special trip to this class before the observation, told them that I had to teach them for those 2 periods completely in English, and I need them to read up Chapters 1-5.

The students cheerfully asked me to relax, and that they are on my side 🙂 They can be real angels…

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Anyway, today came. Their lesson was right after their recess break. Usually, (since there is no school bell) students tend to take their own sweet time before entering class. But they were all there. Prepared with their books. Punctual. Nervous, alongside me.

I had ample time to set up my teaching materials and netbook; as the observer came in a lil late.

When I could finally start the teaching, I just gave it my best.

In slow and simple English, I tried to get the students to follow along the lesson.

The students tried their best to respond too, in however much English they know.

We had quite some laughs, some hiccups, but I thought it went well. Better than what I would have expected from my kids.

Once again, I learned not to underestimate them.

When the lesson came to a close, the observer came to me. I was expecting to receive my feedback; but instead I was told plainly that I do not have my Sukatan Pelajaran @_@ and she hurried off.

A lil stunned, and disappointed I was, as I wanted to know how I fared – in their form of evaluations.

‘Were my methods acceptable?’

‘What should I focus and improve on my teaching?’

and not really… about the pettier stuff like ‘why do I not have my Sukatan Pelajaran , when I already presented my Huraian Sukatan Pelajaran and Scheme of Work…’

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I gave a sigh, and thanked the class for their great cooperation and performance.

then they stood up and said..

Thank you teacher,

We love English,

We love teacher!

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That made my day. I then realised, who cares what the observer think of my teaching.

Because at the end of the day, I’m not here to please the evaluators, I’m here to teach.

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Dzeti once complained i wrote too much and lengthy in my blog. LOL… So am gonna stop here~

If you have any tricks on your sleeves, on how to teach low-proficiency kids.. Please do share 🙂